WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which was blocked in China in 2009. In September it restricted access to WhatsApp’s full suite of services in the country. Those with approval must use state network infrastructure.Ĭhina’s government stepped up its campaign of censorship ahead of the Communist Party congress in mid-October.
The move, which drew sharp criticism from VPN service providers, came after the government passed laws in January banning all VPNs which are not approved by state regulators. In July Apple was forced to remove VPN applications from the App Store in China following new regulations to crack down on services which bypass the country’s massive firewall to access overseas sites. Microsoft told BBC News the disappearance of the Skype app was temporary and the company hopes it will soon be restored. Therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China.” In statement to NYT, Apple said: “We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law.
The app was also removed from Android app stores in the country, BBC News reported.
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